Water-level regulator



June 9, 1925.

C. J. DAVIDSON WATER LEVEL REGULATOR Filed Jan. 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fig. Z

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l My I N VE N TOR.

June 9, 1925. 1,541,031

C. J. DAVIDSON WATER LEVEL REGULATOR Filed Jan. 27. 19.23 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iig 4L 1Q llll ll 5:11 5 V I as V 1 1 d se a ATTORNEY6.

Patented June 9, 1925.

CHARLES J. DAVIDSON, OF MILWAUKEE, \VISCONSIN.

WATER-LEVEL REGULATOR.

1 Application'filed January 27, 1923. Serial No. 615,413.

To all 107mm it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. DAVIDSON, a (JltlZGn of the Unlted States, and res1dent of hililwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee 5 and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in ater-Level Regulators, of which the following isa description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

I This invention relates to water level regu- 'lating mechanisms for boilers, and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character employing solid or non-collapsiblefloats for controlling the admission of water to steam or otherboilers, whereby the water level therein. may be automatically maintained substantially constant. 1

Devices of this character now in general use are commonly provided with floats of hollow construction which often lose their lmoyancy, due to leaks in the walls of the floats permitting the entrance of fluid therein, with the result that the regulators do not function properly and in many instances boilers are seriously injured due to low water. In some cases the boilers explode inflicting a great deal of damage and possibly loss of life.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a water level regulator employing metal floats or other controlling means which are solid in construction, to the end that, sofar as is humanly possible, the

a danger of leaks occurring therein, with the resulting disastrous consequences, may be obviated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a regulator which may be readily attached to boilers which are already in use, or to new boilers, and which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and more efficient in action than those which have been heretofore propos A still further object of the invention is to provide a regulating device of the class de scribed having associated with it an efficient alarm mechanism, adapted to give noticein the event of the failure of the regulator to function properly.

lVith. the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and i In the accompanying like numerals designate like partsin all the views;

particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

drawings in which Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a regulatingmechanism and its associated alarm, made in accordance'with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic development of the valve casing illustrating the port open: ings therein;

Fig. 8 is a view similar toFig. 2 of the valve itself; I 1

Fig. 1 isa horizontal sectional view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 14 of Fig. 1, looking down;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional.

view through the upper portion of the mechanism, at right. angles to Fig. 1, and taken HPPIOXlIIlfltGlY on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of the said figure; and,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the inlet and outlet ports and the valve, taken approximately on the plane in dicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, looking down. a Referring to the said drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a casing of any suitable construction, which may be provided with the substantially hemispherical cap mem-' ber 11, which closes the top of the said casing, while the lower portion of the latter is adapted to besecured to the valve housing 12. Suitably journalled in the upper cap member 11 is a transverse shaft 13, upon which is rotatably mounted a pair of sprocket wheels 14: and 15. The said sprocket wheels may be mounted upon antifriction bearings 16, see Fig. 5, and they are each provided with reduced hub portions 17 and 18 respectively, having sprocket teeth 19 and 20, as will be clear from Figs. 1, 4 and g i Housed within the casing 10 a pair of metal float or control members, 21 and 22,

which are of such dimensions as to freely slide therein, and these said members are supported within the said casing by means of chains 23 passing over the sprockets 14: and 15, and chains 24 passing over the sprockets 19 and 20. One end of each of the chains 23 is secured to the upper surface of the float or control member 21, while the other ends of the said chains are suitably secured to the said sprockets 14:.

and 15. In like manner, one end of'each of the chains 24: is secured to the upper float member 2.1, and the other ends of the said chains are secured to the sprockets 19 and 20.

' As above mentioned, the sprockets 19 and 20 are formed on the reduced hub portions Rigidly secured to theupper float mem-- ber 21 is a valve 'rod 25, which passes through the central opening or bore 26 in the float member 22, and carries on its lower end valve members 27 and 28.

The'said valve members 27 v and 28 pref erably take the form of hollow cylinders Y having oneend open, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and the lowermost member 28 is provided with a plurality of angularly disposed ports or openings 29, arranged in the side walls. These said ports or openings are preferably of different dimensions, as clearly indicated and they are adapted to co-act with similarports or openings, 30, provided within the wallsof a; sleeve member 81, rigidly supported within the valve casing 12, in any suitablemanner.

This said sleeve passes through an annular chamber 32, formedwithin the valve casing 12, which is adapted to communicate with the interior of the said sleeve through a plurality of aperatures or openings 33, provided within the walls. of the sleeve. The upper portion of the sleeve is further provided with a series of ports or openings of various lengths, which are a'daptedito co-operate with the upper valve member 27, all as will appear more fully below;

The valve casing 12 -is provided with an inlet opening leadinginto the chamber andan outlet passage 36 leading from the interior of thesaid casing, as will be clea gfronr-Fig- 1, whereby feedwater from may I u table ource; o upp y net; Show-11., may beintroduced into the boiler from the passage t The saidcasin-g or housing 10 is; also provided with the passages;37 and 38, connected to the boiler, whereby the water within the latter may find its way into the interior of the said casing 10. The said casing. is further provided with the usual sight glassor tube 39 having communicationthrough the angular valves. 40

and llwiththe interior of the casing 10, in

'order thatthe level of the water within the casing and the boiler may be observed in the said glass.

In order to sound an audible alarm, should the control mechanism, for any reason, fail to function properly, and the water level rise above or fall below the danger point, there is provided a whistle 4-2, vhich is threaded into the upper cap member 10,

as at 13, see Fig. l. This said alarmcr whistle is provided with a controllingvalve which is adapted to be actuated by either of two bell crank levers, 414 or 45, which levers are adapted to be struck by either of thepins, 46 or $7, carried by the sprocket wheels, 14; and 15 respectively, when the latter are revolved by their controlling float air andto be of such dimensions as to displace one pound whenv so immersed in water. N ow ifthe float or controlling member 21 weighed one pound and the two members were suspended in the manner above disclosed by means of the chains, 23 and 24, on sprockets of the same size, when the lower member 22 was immersed in the water to displace onepound thereof a balance would exist so that there would be no rela tive movement of the members, 2l and 22. But since the sprockets 19 and 20 are only approximately one half the. diameter of the sprockets 1i and 15, the member 21 is acting with aleverage only half as great. as that of the member 22, and its weight must therefore be, increased the balancelsought.

Should the water-level within the casing 10 fallso as to reduce the amount of water displaced, by the lower member 22, the buoyant eli'fect ot-the water nponthe said mem ber will be lessened withthejresult that the balance will be destroyed and the said rinsinaer 22 will descend, thereby raising theupper member 21 to a distanceand at ajspeed a pproxinn tcly one halt that travelled by the member 22, due to the dill'ercntial obtained by using the dilierent sized sprockets 14, 15 and 19 and 20. Such movementot' the upper member 21 will carry with it the valve stem 25, together withthe valve members, and 28, thereby bringing the .ports or openings 29 ,of the lower valve member 28into register with the ports or openings 30 of the valve sleeve 31, and furthermore proportionately to ett'ect causing the lower end of the upper valve member 27 to uncover a portion of the ports or openings 34: of the sleeve 31. Feed water entering, the inlet passage of the valve casing 12 has filled the chamber 32, passed,

through the openings 33 in the sleeve 31 and tilled the interior of the said sleeve; 1V hen the sleeve ports 30 and 34 are opened, as just disclosed, this feed water will pass through the said ports into the outer chamber 50, and from thence by Way of the passage 36, into the boiler. 1

As the water level within the boiler rises as a result of this admission of feed water, the level within the casing 10 will rise correspondingly, thus increasing the buoyant etl'ect upon the lower controlling member 22, so that the upper member 21 will overbalance the same, whereupon the said upper member will descend and the lower member rise, at the same di'tlerential rates thereby cutting oil the supply of feed water by means oil? the valve members, 27 and 28, as will be readily apparent.

During the rising or falling movements of the members, 21 and 22, the sprocket wheels, 1st and 15, are revolved in one direction or the other, and should the water level within the boiler rise above or fall below the danger point, one of the pins, 4*) or 4-7, will be brought into engagement with one or the other o't the bell c ank levers,

or e15, thereby opening the valve controlling the whistle or alarm 42, and permitting steam from the boiler, which has entered the casing 10 through the passage 3?, to enter the said whistle and cause the same to sound an audible alarm. v

The valve casing 12 may also be provided with a suitable inaiuially contii'olled valve 51. controlling conununication between the chamber 32 and the chamber directly, whereby feed water from the passage 35 may be supplied directly to the passage 36 wilhout passing through the automatically controlled alves, 27 and 28.

it will thus be seen that this invention provides an automatic control and a high and low water level alarm, in which it is not necessary to employ hollow float members, which are liable to becon'ie disarranged through leaks and the like. It results that the deviceis positive and automatic in its action and is not likely to get out of order, thus endangering the boiler or the lives 0-1? the attendai'i'ts.

While one specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore itis not wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be requi red by the accompanying claims.

hat is claimed. is:

in said chamber adapted to displace and be buoyed up by said liquid; asubstantially solid. metal counterbalancingmember; ditii'erential connections between said members whereby they may move in opposite directions relative to one another in response to therise and fall o1 said liquid level; and a valve carried by one of said members for di rectly controlling the admission of feed liquid, to maintain said level substantially constant, 7

2. In a liquid level control and alarn'i device l or boilers, a chamber in which. the water level may rise and fall; a substantiah 1y solid metal member within said chamber adapted to displace and be buoyed up by the water therein; a substantially solid metal' counterbalancing member within said chan'iber; non-rigid 'dill'erential connections between said members, whereby they may move in opposite directions relative to one another in response to the rise and fall of said water level; a valve casing associated withsaid chamber; a valve stem carried by one of said members; and a valve carried by said stem within said casing, for controlling the passage of feed water therethrough to i'i'iaintain said water level substantially constant' p a v 3. In aliquid level control and alarm device 'l'or boilers, a chamber in which the water level may rise and :lall; a substantiall y solid metal ineiul'ier within said chanr bcr adaptcd to displace and be buoyed up by the water therein; a suhstanlially solid.

metal: counterbalanciug member within said chamber; chain and sprocket connections between said members, whereby they may move in opposite directions relative to one another at dillerent rates of speed in re sponse to the rise and fall. of said water level; a valve casing associated with said chamber; a valve stem carried by one of said members; a valve carried by said stem within said casing, for controlling the passage of feed. water therethrough to maintain said water level substantially constant; an audi' ble alarm device ttSSOClttliGClWltll said chamher; and means carried by said chain and sprocket connections for actuating said alarm. I

1-. In a water level control and alarm device for boilers, a substantially closed cham ber communicating with said boiler in which the water level may rise and tall; sprocket wheels rotatably mounted in said chamber; chains passing over and each having an end secured to one of said wheels; a substantially solid metal control member within said chamber, adapted to displace and be buoyed mechanism comprising; a chamber in which U the liquid level may rise and fall; a substantially solld metal control member withlllfi up by the water therein, said member being connected to theother end of certain of said chains; a substantially solid metal counterbalancing member, connected to the other end of the others of saidchains, above said first member; and a valve controlled by the control member within said chamber, adapted to displace and be buoyed up by the water therein, said member being connected to one end. of the chains associated with the larger sprokets; a substantially solid metal counterbalancing member, connected to the other end of the chains associated with the smaller sprockets, above said first member; and a vvalve controlled by the movements of said members, adapted to control the admission of feed water to saidboiler, whereby said water level may be maintained substantially constant.

6. In a water level control and alarm device for boilers, a substantially closed chanr,

ber communicating with said boiler in which the waterflevel mayrise and fall; sprocket wheels rotatably mounted in said chamber; chains passing over and secured to said wheels; a substantially solid metal control member within said chamber, adapted to displace and be buoyed up by the waiter therein, said member being connected toone end of certain of said chains; a substantially SOllCl metal qcounterbalancing member connected to one end of theothers of said chains, above said first member; a valve carriedby said counterbalancing member and controlled the movements of said members, adapted to control the admission of feed water to sa dboiler, whereby sa1d water level may be maintained substantially constant; an audible alarm device communicating with said chamber and provided with a valve; and means comprising pins carried by said sprocketwheels for actuating said last named valve to sound the alarm.

7. In a water level control and alarm device for boilers, a substantially closed chamber communicating with said boiler in which the water level may rise and tall; pairs of different sized sprocket wheels rotatably mounted in said chamber; chains passing over and each. having an end secured to one of said wheels; a substantially solid metal control member within said chamber, adapted to displace and be buoyed up by the water i therein, said member being connected to one end of thechains associated with the larger sprockets; a substantially solid metal counterbalancing member, connected to the other end of the Vchains, associated with the smaller sprockets above said first member; a valve controlled by the movements of said members, adapted to control the admission of feed waterto said boiler, whereby said water level may be maintained substantially constant; an audible alarm'device communicating with said-chamber and provided with a valve; and means comprising pins carried by said sprocket wheels for actuating said lastnamed valve to sound the alarm.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature,

CHARLES J. DAVIDSON. 

